Every person who struggles with anxiety should know about The PLEASE Technique.
Managing anxiety can be challenging and exhausting.
You wake up and you’re instantly facing negative thoughts, irrational fears, and endless worries. Some days are better than others, but the feeling that something could go wrong is always right around the corner.
I’ve known this feeling for most of my life.
But as I’ve matured, gained more life experience, went back to therapy, and researched more on the topic, I began to notice a critical element to reducing my anxiety; focusing my attention on my overall health and lifestyle choices.
When our health is out of balance, it affects every other area of our lives.
Mental health, and specifically anxiety are areas that can easily be affected.
The PLEASE Technique is a reminder of this.
EMOTIONAL VULNERABILITY AND ANXIETY
When I first started going back to therapy for my anxiety my therapist told me to start keeping track of my daily moods. By doing this, I noticed trends and patterns in my behavior. One of the patterns I noticed was that I tended to be more anxious when I was overtired. Lack of sleep catapulted me into a state of higher and longer-lasting anxiety, which was something I hadn’t fully pinpointed until I tracked my moods. My scores were always lower (meaning I was feeling more anxiety) after a night of staying up too late, or not getting enough rest.
How did this lack of sleep affect my anxiety?
Simple – it created emotional vulnerability.
When you are emotionally vulnerable, or more prone to emotional highs and lows, it’s easier for anxiety to creep in and have a crippling effect on your mood.
So a key component of tracking my mood was noticing that If I don’t get adequate sleep, I become easily agitated and thrown off course. I then have stronger levels of anxiety because of it.
Next, looked at my diet and alcohol intake – did this also have any effect on my anxiety?
The answer was a definitive YES.
Whenever I eat foods that aren’t as healthy, eat late at night before going to bed or overeat, I feel more anxiety in the following hours. Like clockwork, my alcohol intake told the same story. Whenever I would drink in excess, my anxiety would often heighten after the buzz wore off.
The correlation between these foundational lifestyle items, such as sleep, diet, and alcohol, directly affected my anxiety by creating a feeling that made me more emotionally vulnerable. This is not to say that you have to eat perfectly healthy every meal or never have a sip of alcohol. But you should be aware of how it affects your mood after the “food high” and alcohol buzz wears off.
MY THERAPY SESSIONS
During one of my therapy sessions, my therapist began telling me about the acronym PLEASE.
I had never heard of it before and wanted to find out more. She then handed me a piece of paper that said, “The PLEASE Technique” on it.
Being the sarcastic goofball that I am, I thought, “Please?! As in, please anxiety get the hell out of my life!”
She went on to describe what it stood for and why it was necessary. I then began to realize that the mood charts I had been keeping for months, as well as my foundational lifestyle items like sleep, diet, and exercise, are a critical component in keeping my anxiety at bay.
When my anxiety starts to get overwhelming, I now use PLEASE.
THE P.L.E.A.S.E. MASTERY TECHNIQUE
PLEASE Mastery is a technique used in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy that helps you reduce your emotional vulnerability.
Maintaining a healthy, balanced lifestyle makes you less likely to lose control or have an emotional outburst during a stressful situation. The acronym PLEASE helps you remember how to take care of yourself and keep a healthy lifestyle to avoid being susceptible to emotional vulnerability.
Below is what each letter stands for:
PHYSICAL ILLNESS:
Make sure that you are taking your health seriously. If you are sick, take the appropriate steps In getting better. If you are prescribed medications, take them as directed. Go get regular doctor checkups performed. And take precautionary measures to assure you are at your optimal health. When you’re feeling well, you’re less likely to have emotional instability and therefore anxiety.
BALANCED EATING:
The healthier you eat, the healthier you’ll feel, the less likely you’ll experience emotional ups and downs. What does that mean? Fewer chances for anxiety. Take your diet as serious as you take your mental health; after all, they are forever intertwined.
AVOID MOOD ALTERING DRUGS:
It’s not always easy to abstain from mood-altering drugs and alcohol. But in the fight against anxiety, its vital. In a society that craves substances, you need to be ultra mindful of how they affect your mood.
BALANCED SLEEP:
Make sure you take a look at the recommended amount of sleep for your age group. Many essential things go into getting a good night’s sleep, so be sure to check each one off the list. Lack of sleep has a direct effect on moods, emotional vulnerability, and anxiety.
GET EXERCISE:
Try to exercise every day if you can. And if you are out of shape and haven’t done anything physical in a while, consult a professional trainer and do what you can to start. As time goes on, gradually build up to around twenty minutes a day. When your body is in good shape, it has a substantial impact on your mind.
ACHIEVE MASTERY:
Do something you’re passionate about every single day. When you feel good about something that you’re doing, it has a positive ripple effect over every other area of your life, including your mind. The better your well-being, the better odds you won’t fall down the pitfalls of emotional vulnerability and anxiety.
IN REVIEW
- PLEASE Mastery is a DBT technique used to help lessen emotional vulnerability
- Emotional vulnerability makes you more prone to outbursts, mood swings, and anxiety
- Living a healthy, balanced lifestyle helps decrease emotional vulnerability
- PLEASE is an easy way to remember how to achieve that healthy lifestyle
If you have any questions or would like a free anxiety coaching consultation – contact me at brad@upplifter.com!
Although we strive to provide accurate general information, the information presented here is not a substitute for any kind of professional advice, and you should not rely solely on this information. Always consult a professional in the medical and health area for your particular needs and circumstances prior to making any medical or health-related decisions. For your health-related questions, please seek the advice of a licensed physician or any other qualified health care provider immediately.
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